Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-03-16
FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN.
A Michigan Volunteer Tells the story Of
the Famous Panic and stampede.


til. Famous Panic and stampede.
Tie attempt TO stop the retreat oc-
currcd al a causeway about two miles
north Of Centreville. had bcen sent as
a courier from Blackburn ford 10 Centre
vile, and the panic swept me along with
the rest. was only kid of a boy, Is
years old. and bandmaster, who wanted
TO reach Washington sooner than any
one else pulled me off my horse and left
me 10 plol my way on foot. At least
5000 panicstricken soldiers had passed
along ahead of me.
We were in horrible confusion, some
mounted, some afoot, and ambulances,
baggage wagons, army teams and pri-
vate carriages pushing along as fast as
possible, when l jumped into an army
wagon to which was attached four
horses. The driver was in his saddle on
the nigh wheel horse, and seemed 10 he
taking the matter very coolly, hut ! had
scarcely got into the vehicle when there
was a Shout of ''rebcl cavalry all along
the road, and the tcainsl,r WAS hard
struck by it. lie got down and Lesan TO
cut one Of the leaders loose. and i got
down AMI took the other. leaving the
wagon and the wheel horses at the side
Of the road. l stripped off everything
but the bride. and had scarcely mounted
when corporal handed me up two large
cans Of chicken, which had come from a
wagon filled with hospital stores. As l
had can under each arm, could not
guide the horse. hut he trotted along in
the crowd for half a mile until, as we
descended hill, ] saw ahead Of me a
causeway, a carriage turned around
across the road. and six or eight men in
line in front of the carriage. Not catch
ing on 10 what was up, and still holding
10 the cans, my horse kept his place until
Zach Chandler seized him by the bits and
callcd ont Ia me:
young man. take that horse back
over the hill; he belongs to the govern
mcnt. "
saw guns in the hands of the citizens,
heard them shouting and swearing at the
soldiery, and then let fall the cans and
turned the horse around. had not gone
900 feet when there was a great shout,
and | lokcl around TO sce the valiant
congressman driving north at full speed.
Their effort Ia stop the retreat didn't last
live minutes. As they sprang into their
carriage the soldiers seized the wheels 10
hold them. and two or three attempted TO
secure FREE ride. The New jersey regi-
mcnt occupied tho causeway. but opened
ranks to let the tide through, and many
Of the men lung down their musketS and
joined in the fight.
On three different occasions after 1862
/ met Mr. Chandler, and recalled the in
cilcnt, and hc agreed with me in every
detail. The man who accidently shot
Mai. Eaton was the teamstcr who had
given me one Of his horses. We rode the
pair through to Washington side by side.
One who remembers that panic will
laugh at the idea Of five or six citizens
seeking 70 check it. Had there been a
brigade Of truops across the highway IT
could not have held the frightened tide
five niIpItts. Had Chandler. Wade and
their crowd delayed another minute they
would have been tramped into the earth
Every man felt that he was being pur-
sII~l for his life. and when commissioned
officers were tearing off their insignia of
rank. ilinging away their side arms and
warning all around them 10 hurry, what
could Ia expected of the private soldier:
am sorry that Ben Wade didn't cut a
heroic figure at that causeway TO make
up for TN" slip three or four miles away
earlier in the day. As | role short cut
tn find my regiment. a solid shot passed
near me. smashed an ambulance and tore
the splinters from beach tree. Bull
Pun Russell. Wade. Chandler and other
civilians were just beyond, and the way
they got up and left that section of Vir.
ginIa was laughable to see. ] got four
or five pages Uf Russell's manuscript, a
cane belonging to some Congressman. and
could have gathered up two or three plug
hats and museum of TASKS and luncheon
baskets
The congressional crowd went out TO
see the Cpnfederates get licked When
they found that the boot was on the other
foot every man Of en- was rs panic
stricken as the youngest soldier, and in
stead Uf playing the heroic. except in the
one instance mentioned. they were wish
ing for wings to fiy 10 Washington. -
Volunteer. First Michigan Infantry" in
New York sun.